Crime
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Aryan Brotherhood Member From Visalia
A federal grand jury indicted an Aryan Brotherhood gang member from Visalia on Thursday morning for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
An Aryan Brotherhood tattoo (Wikipedia)
According to court documents, officers initially investigated a vehicle theft reported by Brian Thomas Whitworth, 38. But upon reviewing his home’s surveillance footage, they saw that Whitworth had fired a rifle during the theft.
Visalia police then recovered a rifle matching the rifle Whitworth was seen firing in the footage. Later, in jail calls, Whitworth admitted to having the firearm and also discussed his gang membership, prosecutors said.
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According to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, Whitworth has prior felony convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and vehicle theft. Thus he is prohibited from possessing firearms.
About the Aryan Brotherhood
Aryan Brotherhood, which is commonly referred to as “AB,” is a white supremacist prison gang that is believed to have begun at San Quentin State Prison in the mid-1960s. It has an estimated 15,000 members in and out of prison.
In addition to Visalia police, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Jean Berger is the prosecutor.
If convicted, Whitworth faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
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